Water-heating apparatus



1,505,729 F. W. ROBERTSHAW WATER HEATING APPARATUS' Filed Nov. 23. 121 ,FL F. Z.

2 SheetQ-Sheet y INV I TOR gum; WM

Aug. 19, 1924. 1,505,729

F. w. ROBERTSHAW WATER HEATING APPARATUS Filed NOV. 23, 1921 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 I L "WW m. 1m Hm! FREDZERECK W". BQTEERTSHAW', C91 PITTSBURGH, PENN$YLVMTIA.

WATER-HEATING- APE'AEAZLUS.

Application filed November 223, 18%.

To (ZZZ whom it may concern."

Be it known that 1', Fnnnnnron "W. Roisnn'renew, a citizen of the United States, residing at Ii ittsburgh, in the county of Alla s ghe'ny and State of Pennsylvania, have in vented. a new and useful llmprovement in v i'ater-Heating Apparatus, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact descrip tion.

The present invention relates broadly to water circulating systems and to drain valves for use in connection therewith.

At the present time, it is customary to couple hot water tanks with a heater, the cold water connection from the tank to the heater being adjacent the bottom of the tank and the hot water connection being adjacent the top of the tank. With ordinary city water, there deposits in the tank, the pipes and the heater, a sediment and encrusting scale. These deposits gradually increase in size until the pipes are nearly, if not entirely, closed, thereby decreasing the efficiency of such apparatus and impairing the quality of the water delivered there- While tanks or boilers of this general type have been provided with drain valves, there has been no means provided, so far as I am. aware, for producing what may be termed a pressure flow in a direction opposite to the normal circulation. Such a pressure flow is highly effective for removing such deposits from the apparatus and the resent invention provides a construction w ereby such a flow is insured.

A further objection to apparatus of this type as generally used, has been the absence of any means for effectively cleaning the circulating pipes? r The present invention has for its object the elimination of the dificulties encountered with such installations by the provision of easily operable means effective for cleaning the entire apparatus, including the circulating pipes;

The foregoing and other objects of the present invention, together with their attendant advantages, will be apparent as the invention becomes better understood by reference to the accompanying specification and drawings forming a part thereof, it being premised that changes may be made in the F details of construction and manner of opera- 55 tion. without departing from the scope of my invention,

Serial fr-"lo. 517,223.

Figure 1 is a side elevation largely diagrammatic of an installation embodying the present invention:

Figure 2 is a top plan view of the drain valve and its circulating connections;

Figure 3 is a sectional view on the line HTHT of Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a sectional view on the line 1 -26] of Figure 3; and

Figure 5 is a perspective View of the valve gate. Referring more particularly to Figure 1 of the'drawings there isillustrated a water circulating system comprising a storage tank 2, having a cold water inlet connection a. heading from a point adjacent the bottom of the tank 2 is a circulating connection t for delivering cold water to a heater 5. The heated water passes from the heater by way of a connection 6 into the upper portion of the tank 2 or to a hot water service connection 7 Any usual gas supply connection 8 for the heater 5 may be provided.

In accordance with the present invention there is provided in the circulating connection 4 a drain valve 9 which may be termed generally a three-wa valve. This valve, in its preferred embodiment, comprises a casing of any desired construction having two orts 10 and 11, preferably in alignment.

uring different periods of operation, these ports serve either as inlet or as outlet ports, according to the manner of installing the valve and the operative position thereof. The ports are adapted to receive the circulating connection 4. Intermediate the ports 10 and 11 is a gate valve comprising a spoolshaped body 12, the two heads of which are connected by a gate 13 having a relief opening 14 extending therethrough. Projecting upwardly from one of the heads is an operatin stem 15 adapted to pass through a bearlng 16 in the valve casing. At its up-. per end the valve stem may be provided with a squared portion 17 to receive an operating handle 18. The upper end of the valve stem is also preferably provided with an indicating mark or groove 19 extending diametrically thereof in alignment with the gate 13 for indicating the osition thereof.

The valve body is inserte through a bottom opening in the valve casirf This opening is normally closed by a p ug 20 havin a recess adapted to partially enclose an guidea compression spring 21 seg to :stantially right angles to the axis of thehold the valve body in its upperpositionand compensate for wear'thereof. To prevent leakage around the valve stem, the

valve casing is recessed concentrically to the bearing 16 to receivea'packing washer 22. When theparts are in assembled position the packing washeris entirely enclosed by one of the heads of the valve body and the valve casing.- f

Opening throughthe valve casing at subports 10 and l1,"is a port 23 serving as a U v.drain opening. This port may receive an ordinary valve 24;, whereby the same may I -16 beopened or closed at will. This valve constitutes whatmay be termed an operating valveandcooperates with the three-way valve wherebythe desired operation thereof may besecured. I 1

' ThelvalveoaSing may be provided with a groove-25 extending diametrically fromment from suchposition. 1 The casing is also provided with stops 27I pr ojecting therefrom and adapted to cooperate withj a projection 28 formed on thefhandle -l8 and extending downwardly therefromg These stops "and the rojection 28 tareso; formed that the hand e maybe moved fromneutral position therefrom. .At'the same time, by removing the fastening screw 29 the handle may be reversed, if desired; to bringv the projection into cooperative position between the stops' 30, corresponding-in function to the stops Assuming the parts in the position illustrated 1n Figure 2, cold water will flow from the tank 2' in to the heater 5; If it is desired to clean the heater 5, the handle 18 will be turned in acounterclockwise direction, as viewed in Figure 2, to bring the projection 28 thereon into engagement with one of the stops 27 This will move the gate to the dotted line position illustrated in Figure 4, thereby cutting of! communicatlon between the ports 10 and 23, with the exception of the relief opening 14, and establishing communication between the ports 11 and 23. The operating valve 24 will also be opened. This will permit the head of water in the heater and ipe 6 to roduce a pressure flow through tl ie heater, t e pi e 6 and the circulating connection 4 in a s irection opposite to the normal circulation therethrou h. This reverse pressure flow will be e ective for removing from these parts of the apparatus any sediment or encrustation. It will be apparent, that if it as described. through substantially 45 ,in e'ither direction is desired to clean the tank operating valve 24L will first be opened and then the handle 18 will be moved in a clockwise direction. This operation may bePrepeated once or twice a week, or as found necessary, depending upon the quality of the .water being used, and the valve permitted to remain ineachposition until'a flow of clear water therethrou'gh is produced. The entire circulating system, including the ser-v vice pipe,'may effectively be drained and cleaned as desired. The provision of the relief opening 14; prevents damage in case the gate 13 is accidentlypermittedv to remain in one of its angular positions. For example, if left in the dotted line position illustrated in Figure 4, it will be apparent that supply'water may pass from the tank 2 to the heater. While such supply will not be suflicient to take care of a large demand,

it will preventoverheating, or: blowing up of the apparatus. t

The advantages of the present invention arise from the provision of awater treating apparatus and three-way valve capable of permitting a thorough drainingof apparatus of this general type; "I claim: 3

'1. In a three-way valve, a casing fa gate valve, a reversible handle for operating saidgate valve, means for indicating Ithe., jposition of saidgate valve, and means coo erat ing with said handle in either posltlon tolimit the movement thereof, substantially 2."In a drain valve, a casin having service ports and a drain port, an a gate valve rotatable through substantially 90 to establish communlcation between said service po s or between either service port and the dram port, said drain port bemg adapted to cooperate with an independently oper-,

able means for controllin the flow there through, substantially as escribed.

3. In a drain valve, a casinghaving service ports and a drain ort, and means rotatable through substantially 90-to establish communication between said service port and the drain port, said means having a relief opening therethrough, said dram port being adapted to cooperate with an independently operable means for controlling the flow therethrough, substantially as described.

4. In a drain valve, a casing having service ports and a drain port, sald dram port being adapted to cooperate with an independently operable means for controlling. the flow therethrough, a gate valve cooperating therewith, a stem projecting from sald gate valve, an operating handle secured to said stem, and a packing surroundin said stem and enclosed by said valve an said casing, substantially as described.

5. In a three-way valve, a casing having service ports and a drain port, a valve cooperating therewith, resilient means cooperating with said valve to compensate for wear thereof and maintaining the same in proper position, an operating handle for said valve and. stops cooperatlng with said handle, said stops being arranged to permit movement of said valve through substantially 90 to bring the same into any one of three operating positions, substantially as described. 7

6. In water treating apparatus, a tank, a heater, circulating connections therebetween, and a three-Way valve in one of said connec tions, said valve comprising a casing, a rotatable member having cylindrical heads of equal diameter, and a diametrically extending gate connecting said heads, said gate having a relief opening extending therethrough, substantially as described.

7 In a valve, a casing, a valve member rotatable therein and comprising cylindrical heads of substantially equal diameter, and a gate extending substantially diametrically of and connecting said heads, substantially as described.

8. In a valve, a casing, a valve member rotatable therein and comprising cylindrical heads of substantially equal diameter, and a gate extending\ substantially diametrically of and connecting said heads, said gate having a relief opening extendingtherethrough, substantially as described.

9. In a water treating apparatus, a tank, a heater, circulating connections therebetween, a valve in one of said connections adapted to normally permit a relatively free flow therethrough, and means for turning said valve in one direction to drain water from one side thereof and in the opposite direction to drain water from the opposite side thereof,'whereby a pressure flow may be produced from said tank to said valve or from said heater to said valve, said valve .havin a relief opening formed therein and exten ing therethrough to permit a flow from the tank to the heater in the normal direction irrespective of the position of the valve, substantially as described.

10. In water treating apparatus, a tank, a

heater, circulating connections therebetween, a valve located in one of said connections and adapted to occupy any one of three dif-.

ferent operative positions, and means for rotating said valve, rotation of said valve through substantially 90 degrees only being effective to bring the same into any one of said three: positions, said valve having a relief opening formed therein and extending therethrough, substantially as described.

11. In a drain valve, a casing having service ports and a drain port, and rotatable means eflective upon rotation through substantially 90 degrees only to establish communication between said service ports to permit direct flow therebetween, or between either service port only and the drain port,

substantially as described.

a 13. In water treating apparatus, a tank, a

heater, circulating connections therebetween, and a three-way valve in one "of said connections, said valve having a constantly open relief opening formed therein and extending therethrough, said opening permitting a flow from the tank to the heater in the normal" direction irrespective of the position of the valve, substantially as described.

14. In water treating apparatus, a tank, a

heater, circulating connections therebetween,

and draining means in one of said connections, said means having a constantly open relief opening formed therein and extending therethrough for permitting a flow from the tank to the heater in the normal direction irrespective of the position of the draining means, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

FREDERICK W. ROBERTSHAW; 

